1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a piano and, more particularly, is concerned with an improved balance pin assembly for a piano key.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern pianos are complex mechanisms made up of thousands of parts. The adjustment and setting of many of these parts affect the playing quality of the piano. Periodically, these parts loosen up and get out of adjustment requiring tuning and regulation.
During periodic regulation and tuning of a piano, one of the procedures that must be carried out is the leveling of the piano keys. This has traditionally been done by starting at one end of the piano and working toward the other end, all the while striving to make the keys line up with the edge of a long ruler that spans the keyboard.
Each key is balanced at approximately mid-length on a pin permanently installed in the piano keybed. To adjust its height, a key is individually lifted at the rear off its balance pin. Then, the key is raised or lowered either by inserting or removing ring-shaped paper shims of varying thicknesses. This procedure is repeated until the proper height is attained.
The balance pins over which the paper shims are inserted must also be capable of being bent by light tapping with a hammer in order to take out any sidewise roll, twist or tilt of the keys as they are seated on their balance pins. A piano keyboard with all the keys level and free of tilt is the end result of a procedure that can take up to three hours for the piano technician to complete.
The drawback with the traditional way in which keys are mounted is that the time required to adjust the heights of the keys is much too long. Consequently, a need exists for a different approach which will avoid this drawback.